


Extracts from a draft OFSTED Report

by Rosie_Rues



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Documentation, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-30
Updated: 2007-04-30
Packaged: 2017-10-22 19:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/241665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosie_Rues/pseuds/Rosie_Rues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Only extracts, I'm afraid. I did start trying to do the whole thing, but the version of this report used in the 90s would have come in at about 20,000 words. The inspection took place early in PoA. OFSTED, for those who have never suffered it, is the British schools inspectorate.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Extracts from a draft OFSTED Report

**Author's Note:**

> Only extracts, I'm afraid. I did start trying to do the whole thing, but the version of this report used in the 90s would have come in at about 20,000 words. The inspection took place early in PoA. OFSTED, for those who have never suffered it, is the British schools inspectorate.

**  
INSPECTION REPORT  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
1993  
FINAL DRAFT  
**

Hogsmeade, Scotland  
LEA area: Ministry of Magic Maintained  
Unique reference number: 000001  
Headteacher: Mr A P W B Dumbledore  
Reporting inspector: Griselda Marchbanks (0002)  
Dates of inspection: 6 – 10 September 1993  
Inspection number: 000004  
Inspection carried out under section 10.4a of the Wizarding Education Act 1876

 ****

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

  


Type of school: Special. Very special. ( ** _Whoever amended this, please change it back. We're on a deadline, so please control your puerile attempts at humour. GM_** )  
School category: Residential fee-paying  
Age range of students: 11 to 18 Years  
Gender of students: Mixed  
School address: Hogwarts Castle  
Near Hogsmeade

Floo number: Not available to the public.  
Appropriate authority: The governing body  
Name of chair of governors: Mr T Ogden  
Date of previous inspection: 19 September 1989

 **INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM  
Team members**

 **Griselda Marchbanks Chief Inspector (Ministry of Magic Approved)**  
 _Subject responsibilities_  
Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Divination,  
 _Aspect responsibilities_  
What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve further?

 **Augusta Longbottom Lay inspector**  
 _Aspect responsibilities_  
Students’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its students? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

 **Horace Slughorn Team Inspector**  
 _Subject responsibilities_  
Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration

 **Alberic Tofty Team Inspector**  
 _Subject responsibilities_  
Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic

 **Arthur Weasley Team Inspector**  
 _Subject responsibilities_  
Flying, Muggle Studies  
 _Aspect responsibilities_  
Integration of Muggleborn students

  
 **PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT  
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL**

Hogwarts is a mixed residential school for students in the 11 - 18 range who have demonstrated magical ability and has 264 students on roll; this includes a number of children from non-wizarding families. The number of students (6) eligible for assistance with fees (2 per cent) is low when compared with previous years ( ** _Especially if one notes the governors have CHANGED THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA! AW_** ) ( ** _Arthur, this is neither the time nor the place. GM_** ). The proportion of students with special educational needs has not been made available to the inspectors. The number of students from ethnic minority backgrounds is broadly in line with national averages although the number of those for whom English is an additional language has not been made available to the inspectors. Students enter the school with varied levels of attainment.

Hogwarts School is a satisfactory school with some good and very good features and some poor features. The very good leadership is not matched by similar standards of teaching in some cases. Student attitudes are mixed and interhouse relations have declined since the last inspection. Examination results indicate progress when balanced against an average expenditure per student, producing a school which gives satisfactory value for money.

...

 **HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION**

The school has achieved a good level of improvement and it has tackled the issues identified in the last  
inspection report. Improvements include improving consistency within and between houses in applying school behavioural policies. Success has been demonstrated by a significant improvement in teaching in this inspection and an overall improvement in external examination results. There has been very good improvement in Arithmancy. In Defence Against the Dark Arts there has been patchy improvement, mainly due to persistant problems with staffing. Problems in meeting Ministry standards in Defence Against the Dark Arts persist, although the present incumbent has done much to improve teaching and learning. Also the school has made progress in providing extracurricular activities and in improving communications between students, staff and parents.

 **STANDARDS**

Overall the school achieves above the European standards in OWLS and NEWTS. In 1993 results in  
Transfiguration, Charms and Potions are higher than those in Astronomy, Defence Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic. When considering prior attainment, results at OWL indicate students’ time in school is beneficial and they make at least satisfactory progress. Results at NEWT are rising. The school retains most students to NEWT level. Students with special educational needs are poorly catered for at all levels.

 **STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES**

Students enjoy school and have very good attitudes to their work.  
Behaviour can be very poor; students are confrontational outside the classroom.

  
 **TEACHING AND LEARNING**

  
 _Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory;  
unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh  
weaknesses._

Teaching is satisfactory overall. In 67 per cent of lessons seen it was at least satisfactory; in 16 per cent it was good or better and in 7 per cent it was very good or excellent. In 10 per cent of lessons teaching was  
unsatisfactory or poor. All teachers have a good understanding of their subjects although they do not always communicate this understanding clearly to the students. They use a variety of methods and assess work conscientiously but there is poor interaction with the students in some lessons.

 **OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL**

  
The school offers a broad curriculum including Muggle Studies at post-13.

However, there are weaknesses in Care of Magical Creatures and Divination at NEWT level.

Provision for special educational needs is unsatisfactory.

Provision for students with English as an additional language is unsatisfactory.

Provision for students’ personal (including spiritual, moral, social and cultural) development is unsatisfactory, with the exception of Hufflepuff House.

The school cares for its students and has good procedures for monitoring attendance and behaviour.

The school has good links with parents ( ** _Sometimes too good. Ignorance is bliss. AW_** ).

 **HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED**

The school is a well ordered organisation; it is superbly led by a very effective headteacher and deputy who monitor and evaluate teaching very effectively. Other members of the Senior Management Team are less effective, with particular concerns ~~being raised about the decline in leadership in Slytherin House.~~ ( ** _Horace! How many times do I have to tell you to stop picking on that poor boy. Remove these comments before I send this to the governors. GM_** )

The governing body gives excellent support and fulfils its responsibility very conscientiously, although they are overly preoccupied with media perceptions of the school. ( ** _Grissy, my sweet, if we're making comments, I do feel I should point out that my old friend Tibby Ogden has never read a newspaper in his life. Really, the very idea of it! AT_** )

The school is confident that the changes made since the last inspection are enabling good improvement and expects this to be sustained, although the headmaster does not always clearly communicate his intentions to the governors.

The school is careful in its use of resources. Financial management is excellently supervised by the Head of Gryffindor House. The headteacher and senior management team, generally well supported by the governing body, have a clear vision that is set out in the School Improvement Plan; although the headmaster occasionally seems to be operating to a different agenda. The school has a good match of teaching and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum.

 **PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL**

 **What pleases parents most**

Most children like school.  
Children make progress at the school.  
The school encourages participation in sport and other extra-curricular activities.

 **What parents would like to see improved**

The school does not deal with bullying effectively.  
Divination teaching is poor.  
Security at the school is a major concern for a majority of parents, given recent events at the school.  
A significant minority of parents expressed concern about recent staff appointments, particularly in Care of Magical Creatures.  
A similar minority of parents believed that the school admitted too many Muggleborn students.

Inspectors agree with the positive views the parents hold and partially agree with their negative view. The  
school does not deal with bullying effectively. At the parents’ meeting all felt that the atmosphere in school was frequently confrontational and inspectors endorse this view. Some concern was expressed about access to the school site by escaped convicts.

 **PART B: COMMENTARY  
HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS?  
The school’s results and achievements**

1\. Students enter the school with a range of prior attainment reflecting their varied magical and economical backgrounds.

2\. At NEWT level standards are good in most subjects and very good in Transfiguration. Standards are unsatisfactory in Divination. The current standard of teaching in Defence Against the Dark Arts is good, but poor previous teaching has left students working significantly below expectations. Teaching in Potions caters well to high ability students but does not offer enough support to those students with a lower aptitude..

3\. Students with special educational needs (SEN) are poorly catered for. They are not provided with extra support in lessons and teachers are generally unaware of their educational needs. SEN students in Slytherin House are offered support in those subjects taught by members of the house, but this provision is not extended to other students or subjects. This is an urgent area for improvement.

4\. Students’ particular needs are rarely provided for. Most able students make good progress  
overall, but teachers do not generally plan for the needs of all students in a class.

...

 **Students’ attitudes, values and personal development**

12\. Students’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good within houses, but interhouse relationships are poor and frequently lead to physical confrontations. Within lessons the attitudes, response and behaviour ranges from satisfactory to excellent. In 10 per cent of lessons, where the teachers were not fully secure in the management of behaviour or the lessons were not challenging, some students showed less good behaviour or in a minority of lessons unsatisfactory behaviour. This behaviour was generally confined to Divination or Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

13\. Students’ attitudes to the school are very good. They have established very good relationships within their houses and with house staff. Students are very good at co-operating with other members of their house and with staff and this results in them valuing each other’s work or contribution to the lessons. This cooperation does not eliminate house rivalry and can increase it.

14\. The poor standards of behaviour in lessons and around the school have a very negative impact  
on students’ work and concentration. The school needs to establish clearer expectations for behaviour and apply penalties fairly. An example of poor practice was observed outside a Potions lesson when a staff member failed to penalise members of his own house as severely for an altercation in which members of that house and two others were involved. The result is a hostile climate for learning with some evidence of aggressive and blood-prejudiced behaviour. Misbehaviour is rare in lessons but common in the corridors and when it occurs it is not always dealt with effectively.

15\. The prefects system is a strong feature of the school and encourages responsibility among older students. Younger students are confident in consulting their own house prefects for academic and pastoral advice.

...

 **HOW WELL ARE STUDENTS TAUGHT?**

22\. Teaching is satisfactory overall.

23\. The quality of learning is satisfactory. Students make gains in most subjects except in Divination where learning is too patchy to help students to acquire, consolidate and develop the skills they need and Care of Magical Creatures where poor management of student behaviour has inhibited learning.

24\. Teachers have a good knowledge of their subjects overall. Examples of excellent subject knowledge were seen in Potions and Charms lessons.

25\. Practical lessons are used to good effect. In Defence Against the Dark Arts the teacher makes excellent use of student participation in practical lessons. A good example of this was a lesson involving a boggart where the teacher was able to scaffold students into dealing with the threat under controlled circumstances ( ** _'Excellent' is a debatable term in this case. Are we really condoning such immature tactics? AL_** )

( ** _Oh, be quiet, Augusta. I told you that hat was past its best. GM_** )

...

  
 **CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES**

112\. Recent staffing changes have led to some upheaval in this subject. The subject is not popular at NEWT level, although student numbers at OWL level remain healthy.

113\. Parental concern was expressed about health and safety issues in these lessons. However, the observed lessons, albeit unchallenging, were confirmed to be safe.

114\. Good use was made of practical interaction with the creatures being studied. However, it was a cause for concern that all years were currently engaged in flobberworm care. ( ** _The flobberworm, one may observe, is an utterly uninteresting creature. I would have preferred to encounter the by now notorious hippogriff. HS_** )

( ** _Horace, I would also have preferred you to do so. Please send me your final amendments by return of owl. That goes for the rest of you, too. Stop quibbling and get this farce over with before that idiot Fudge sends another of his idiot lackeys to clutter up my office. GM_** )


End file.
